Ben Affleck has admitted that he was at first reluctant to take on the role of Batman for the sequel to Man of Steel. However, once he saw the script, he understood the character the filmmakers were looking for and agreed.
The Argo director spoke with 411mania and explained how he ultimately decided to take the role.
“Initially I was reluctant as I felt I didn't fit the traditional mold but once Zack showed me the concept, and that it would be both different from the great movies that Chris [Nolan] and Christian [Bale] made but still in keeping with tradition I was excited,” he told the site. “Doing something different and new is always tricky and part of the thrill and the risk is that initially it confounds expectations. The truth is, it's the movie and the execution of it is what all the actors depend on and I believe in Zack's vision.”
So, Affleck knew that this would probably be among the most challenging things he’s taken on in his career. Many fans wondered how he could play the character after Christian Bale’s performance in the Dark Knight trilogy and Affleck tried to figure out the same thing.
The site also asked if Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara’s recent comments that Batman would be a “tired and weary” character were correct and he said that this is the case. “Yes, Kevin described it aptly,” Affleck said. “I don't want to go further because I want to be able to capitalize on what is new about this iteration by having it be a surprise to the audience.”
While Affleck’s Batman comments will grab the headlines, he also spoke about The Middle Man, a Boston-set crime pilot he is directing for Fox. He said that the idea was pitched to him while making The Town.
“They had an interesting period take on the Winter Hill gang, and fictionalizing it for the sixties seemed really interesting,” Affleck said. “There is so much story to tell there that television is the only medium I think the story can work in.”
Affleck recently starred in Runner Runner and is next going to film David Fincher’s Gone Girl. Unfortunately for Fincher fans, Affleck did not talk about that project.
image: NBC